High speed container draining apparatus

ABSTRACT

Open ended containers with rinse water in them are carried along a drying path which includes at least one curved path segment, the containers being carried along that curved segment with their open ends facing radially outwardly. As a result, an outwardly directed centrifugal force is effective to expel the rinse water from the containers. The containers are fed onto and off of individual support means carried by a conveyor means and means are provided for moving said individual support means radially outwardly of said conveyor means prior to said containers traversing said curved path segment and for returning said individual support means to their initial positions at the end of the drying path for removal from the conveyor means. As a result there is an increase in effective radius of the curved path segment, thereby to increase the effective net centrifugal force acting on the rinse water, although but a single conveyor means is utilized.

United States Patent [151 3,690,486 East [4s] *Sept. 12, 1972 [541 HIGH SPEED CONTAINER DRAINING 1,655,955 1/ 1928 Herold ..134/75 APPARATUS 2,249,659 7/ 194i Kems et al ..2l4/3l l lnventor: Jerry L. East, Lynchburg, Va.

Assignee: Simplimatic Engineering Co.,

Lynchburg, Va.

Notice: The portion of the term of this patent subsequent to July 6, 1988, has been disclaimed.

Filed: Jan. 21, 1971 Appl. No.: 108,520

Related US. Application Data Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 814,946, April 10, 1969, Pat. No. 3,591,027.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 8/1924 Rickard ..2l4/3ll 4/1927 Astrom 134/73 Primary Examiner-Gerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Lawrence J. Oresky Attorney-James & Franklin [57] ABSTRACT Open ended containers with rinse water in them are carried along a drying path which includes at least one curved path segment, the containers being carried along that curved segment with their open ends facing radially outwardly. As a result, an outwardly directed centrifugal force is effective to expel the rinse water from the containers. The containers are fed onto and off of individual support means carried by a conveyor means and means are provided for moving said individual support means radially outwardly of said conveyor means prior to said containers traversing said curved path segment and for returning said individual support means to their initial positions at the end of the drying path for removal from the conveyor means. As a result there is an increase in effective radius of the curved path segment, thereby to increase the effective net centrifugal force acting on the rinse water, although but a single conveyor means is utilized.

20 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEDsEP 12 1912 SHEET 2 BF 5 INVENTOR fizzy 4. 5,4;

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ATTORNEY KQ Y .4. 5457 ATTORNEY INVENTOR PATENTEDSEP 12 m2 SHEET 0F 5 PA'TENTED E 3.690.486

sum 5 or 5 INVENTOR v IC 4v 4. =4jr ATTORN EY HIGH SPEED CONTAINER DRAINING APPARATUS This application is a continuation-in-part and is directed to an improvement of the apparatus disclosed in my copending application, Ser. No. 814,946 filed April 10, 1969 and entitled High Speed Container Draining Apparatus, now U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,027, patented July 6, 1971.

The present invention relates to rinsing and draining apparatus, and particularly to an apparatus for draining rinse water from open-ended containers.

Open-ended containers, particularly in the form of glass bottles, are widely used as containers for beverages such as beer, soda and the like. In the past, glass containers were returned after being emptied and then reused. As a result, such containers had to be thoroughly cleaned and washed to ensure that the bottles would be sufficiently clean and safe for refilling and reselling. Such washing requires special and relatively heavy duty equipment.

However, in recent years, primarily as a result of the reduced cost of container manufacture, many of the glass containers used are non-returnable, discarded by the consumer after use. The beverage packager using bottles of this type need no longer undertake the rigorous bottle washing procedures that were required with returnable bottles. With non-returnable bottles, all that is required is a simple rinsing process, after which the bottle is filled. For such a simple rinsing operation comparatively simple equipment can be used. In such equipment rinse water is inserted into the bottles either prior or just after the bottles are received by a moving conveyor. After the rinse water is inserted into the bottles, the bottle is inverted to allow the rinse water to drain out from the bottles. After the bottles have completed their travel along the draining path, they are usually discharged from the rinsing apparatus. Rinse water insertion, bottle feed, drainage and bottle discharge are generally accomplished in a continuous manner.

For optimum operation of a bottle rinsing apparatus, all or substantially all of the rinse water should be removed from the bottles by the time the bottle is discharged from the rinsing apparatus.

The amount of rinse water drained from the bottle will be primarily determined by the amount of time that the bottle is moved in its inverted position along the draining path. This in turn is determined by the length of that path and the rate at which the bottle is conveyed along that path the faster the rate the shorter will be the draining period.

There are, however, economic and practical considerations such as available plant space and desired drying capacity which limit one or both of these factors. Lack of space shortens the drying path, and the need to process large numbers of bottles necessitates that they be moved rapidly through the apparatus. Increasing the speed at which the containers are carried through the apparatus would have an adverse effect upon the draining operation because the rinse water would have less time in which to drain. Increasing the length of the draining path, while increasing the efficacy of the draining process, would also increase the cost of the apparatus and increase the plant space required for its use. As a result designers of the prior art bottle rinsing apparatus were compelled to reach a com promise between the factors of conveyor length and drive speed to achieve the optimum results under specified limitations of cost and space. That compromise was, however, generally less than completely satisfactory with sacrifices being made of necessity with respect to either complete water drainage, speed, rinsing capacity, and/or cost of operation. Thus in known rinsing apparatus an excessive amount of residual rinse water often remains in the bottle after it has completed its movement along the drying path. That remaining rinse water eventually must be removed from the bottle before the desired contents are inserted, or else the resulting flavor and quality of the contents will be adversely afi'ected. To effect this final rinse liquid removal has in the past been troublesome and time consuming, and hence costly.

In my aforementioned application, Ser. No. 814,946 there is disclosed a high speed container draining apparatus which overcomes many of the aforementioned problems. The apparatus there disclosed comprises means for conveying the bottlesalong a draining path which includes at least one curved path segment. Means are provided to retain the bottles on the conveyor in a manner such that when they are moved along the curved path segment, their open ends are directed radially outwardly away from the conveyor. In this manner, as the bottles move along that curved path segment, a centrifugal force determined by the linear velocity of the conveyor and the effective radius of the curved path segment is developed, that force being effective to forceably expel the liquid within the bottles through the radially outwardly oriented open ends thereof.

For a given angular velocity of the conveyor about the curved path segment the net centrifugal force acting on the rinse liquid in the container is proportional to the effective radius of the curved path. At minimum conveyor velocity, as is most desirable for system operation (to reduce the cost and complexity of the conveyor drive) it was thought impractical to move the containers along a curved path with sufficient velocity to produce a centrifugal force sufficient to effectively augment the conventional gravity drainage. Accordingly, the invention disclosed in my aforementioned application, Ser. No. 814,946 provides means for increasing the effective radius of that curved path by supporting and conveying the containers along a path which is radially outwardly spaced from the path of movement of the conveyor drive. Thus, in the particular embodiment of the invention there described, the container is supported on a support block carried by a pair of endless conveyor sprocket chains which in turn are carried by a drive wheel having a given radius. The dimensions of the support block are such that the containers are supported thereon in a position radially outwardly spaced from the conveyor a substantial distance. The resultant effective radius of the curved path segment over which the centrifugal force is active, is thus the sum of the radius of the drive wheel plus the outwardly extending dimension of the support block. The increased effective radius results in an increased effective centrifugal force acting upon the rinse liquid which in turn increases the rate at which the rinse liquid is expelled from the container during its movement about the curved path segment.

A container housing is needed to receive the container at the infeed section of the conveyor and to retain it on its associated support block as it moves along the drainage path. In accordance with the embodiment disclosed in the said prior application the containers are fed laterally into the conveyor line at one side thereof and are removed laterally at the other side. As a result the container housing has a rather complicated design so as to provide for the infeed and outfeed guide rails. Moreover, the housing as there disclosed is mounted on the separate pair of sprocket chains to provide for relative movement between the housing and its associated support block to effectively engage and retain the containers on the conveyor drive after they are fed into their respective housings and to provide for release from said housings at the removal or outfeed section of the conveyor.

Consequently, while the apparatus there disclosed is efiective to produce an increased centrifugal force acting on the rinse liquid and a resulting increase rate of expulsion of the rinse liquid, this result is obtained at the expense of a rather cumbersome, complicated and costly design both with regard to the container supporting apparatus and the conveyor drive means.

It is a primary object of the present invention to provide a container draining apparatus in which the rinse liquid is effectively removed from the containers utilizing a more simple and inexpensive structure and mode of operation than has heretofore been known.

It is a further object of the present invention to design a container draining apparatus of the type described utilizing a conveyor system employing only a single pair of conveyor chains.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a draining apparatus for use with open-ended containers in which improved means are provided for accurately positioning the containers on the conveyor after rinse liquid has been injected into them and removing them from that conveyor after rinse liquid has been removed therefrom.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a container draining apparatus with improved means for securely engaging and retaining the containers on a conveyor in a position in which the open ends of the containers face radially outwardly from the conveyor, and means for engaging and disengaging the containers from those retaining means in a predetermined sequential operation.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a container draining apparatus in which the means for engaging and retaining the containers on a conveyor as it traverses the draining path is also effective to increase the effective radius of the curved drainage path over which the container travels.

To these ends, the present invention provides a container draining apparatus adapted to receive openended containers such as bottles, after rinse liquid has been injected therein. Means are provided for conveying the bottles along a draining path with includes at least one curved path segment. The bottles are supported on the conveyor by individual support platforms slidably mounted for movement towards and away from the conveyor drive means. Means are provided at one side of the conveyor for feeding bottles onto successive platforms and removing bottles from said supporting platforms at the terminal end of the drainage path in timed sequential operation. A fixed container engaging member is mounted radially outwardly from the conveyor means and is spaced from the upper open ends of the bottle as they are fed onto the slidable support platform. As the bottles move along the drainage path means are provided to slide the bottle support platforms radially outwardly from the conveyor means such that the bottles are operatively engaged and retained at their upper ends by the fixed container engaging members. The movement of the bottle support platforms is at the same time effective to substantially increase the effective radius of the curved path segment traversed by the bottles, thereby to increase the effective centrifugal force acting upon the rinse liquid and increasing the rate at which rinse liquid is expelled from the container. As the bottles approach the removal section of the conveyor the platform is moved inwardly toward the conveyor means freeing its supported bottle from the fixed container engaging member for removal from the conveyor line. As a result of the simplified support structure, the need for two separate conveyor systems, as disclosed in my aforementioned copending application, is obviated, the bottles and their associated support structure and bottle engaging members all being carried by a single pair of conveyor chains. The problems of synchronization and slippage are thereby minimized.

To the accomplishment of the above, and to such other objects as may hereinafter appear, this invention relates to the construction and manner of operation of a container draining apparatus, as defined in the appended claims and as described in this specification, taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the drainer apparatus of the present invention, illustrating the manner in which bottles are'placed on and removed from the conveyor;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an isolated cross-sectional view taken along the line 33 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the support apparatus carried by the conveyor means in 21 positioned adapted to receive incoming bottles;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top view of the support apparatus of FIG. 3 showing three bottles supported therein;

FIG. 5 is an isolated cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 3 taken along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1 and illustrating the supporting platform in its uppermost position with a bottle securely retained in the supporting structure;

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the supporting structure of FIG. 5 showing the bottle retained in the supporting structure as it begins to traverse the curved path segment of the draining path;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 4 and showing the slidable mounting means for the supporting platform;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 88 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 9-9 of FIG. 7; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view of an individual support apparatus with a bottle operatively positioned thereon.

Broadly described, the present invention relates to improvements in container draining apparatus in which rinse water is more effectively removed from an openended container, such as a bottle, by the action of centrifugal force on that rinse water during the movement of the container along a curved segment of its draining path.

The containers are moved along an input path during which a quantity of rinse water is injected into the open ends of each container (although the particular place where the rinse water is injected is not critical and may vary widely). The containers are then fed onto the upper flight of a conveyor and guided onto individual container support platforms carried in substantially contiguous aligned relationship by the conveyor. Each platform is mounted on a support structure carried by the conveyor for vertical movement towards and away from the conveyor. The support structure includes a container engaging member extending laterally from its upper end and having means to securely engage and retain the upper end of the container. The platform is normally maintained in a first lowermost position adapted to operatively receive containers from the con-, tainer feed apparatus as it moves along the upper flight of the conveyor. After a container has been fed onto its support platform and moves beyond the container feeding apparatus the platform is moved upwardly on the supporting apparatus such that the upper end of the container is operatively securely grasped and retained by the transversely extending container engaging member. Thereafter the container and the support apparatus move along a curved path between the upper and lower flights of the conveyor.

As a significant feature of the invention, each container moves along that curved path with its open end facing radially outwardly, so that centrifugal force acts on the rinse water and forces it from the container.

In accordance with the embodiment here disclosed the movable support platform serves two important purposes. First, as previously noted, as the container and its associated support platform move beyond the container feeding section of the conveyor the platform moves vertically upwardly away from the conveyor and is effective to move the upper end of the container into operatively grasping engagement with the transversely extending container engaging member, thereby to retain the container on its associated platform throughout the remainder of the drainage path including the curved segments and the lower flight of the conveyor means. Second, and for the purposes of this invention more importantly, the platform as it moves vertically upwardly away from the conveyor brings the container to a position substantially radially outwardly spaced from the conveyor drive. Thus as the individual support platform moves along the curved path segment between the upper and lower flights of the conveyor the container supported thereon traverses a curved path having a substantially increased radius over that of the conveyor drive, thereby increasing the effective centrifugal force acting on the rinse water.

After passing along that curved path, the container, still retained at its upper end (now lower end), moves along the lower flight of the conveyor where gravity causes the remaining rinse water to drain therefrom. The containers then pass upwardly over a second curved path where they are again oriented with their open ends directed radially outwardly from the conveyor, and centrifugal force acts to expel any residual rinse water which may remain.

As the container, now substantially completely drained of rinse water, is moved back to the upper conveyor flight and toward the outfeed section of the conveyor the supporting platform is again moved vertically, this time downwardly, and the upper end of the supported container moves out of engagement with the transversely extending container engaging member. Thereafter the container is guided off its support platform and thus off the conveyor line.

The particular embodiment of the invention shown in the figures comprises an endless conveyor assembly generally designated 10 having an upper flight l1 and a lower flight 12. A curved path segment 13 is defined at the right of the conveyor assembly 10 between the upper and lower flights, and a corresponding curved path segment 14 is defined at the other (left) end of the conveyor assembly between the lower and upper flights thereof. A container infeed section generally designated 15 and a container removal section generally designated 16 are positioned in spaced relationship at one side of the conveyor (see FIG. 1

The containers, which are shown in the form of open-ended small necked bottles 18, are moved individually from infeed section 15 onto one of a plurality of support platforms 20 carried on conveyor assembly 10. Each support platform 20 extends laterally from the lower end of a carriage member generally designated 22. Carriage members 22 are mounted on the conveyor for slidable vertical movement towards and away therefrom. For this purpose a T-shaped support member generally designated 26 is provided having a base 28 and a vertically extending guide column 30. An upper bottle neck engaging member 32 generally in the shape of a tuning fork is bolted to vertically extending column 30 at 34 and extends transversely thereacross. A vertical post 36 is secured at either end to member 32 and base 28, at 38 and 40 respectively. Carriage member 22 is provided with a vertically extending aperture 42 adapted to receive post 36 for vertical sliding movement thereon. A U-shaped channel 44 is formed in the platform side of carriage 22 to accommodate vertical guide column 30 also in slidable relationship. Support platform 20 is formed integral with carriage 22 and extends laterally from the bottom end thereof substantially in vertical registration with the U- shaped portion bottle neck engaging member 32. As best shown in FIG. 8, finger or cross bar member 46 is fastened to carriage member 22 above platform 20 at one side of U-shaped channel 44 by suitable means 47 and extends laterally outwardly in substantially parallel relationship to platform 20 and bottle engaging member 32.

As best show in FIG. 7 aperture 42 is counterbored at 49 at the lower end of carriage 22 to accommodate a compression coil spring 48 mounted in surrounding relationship on post 36. Coil spring 48 extends from base member 28 at its lower end to the counterbore 49 of aperture 42 at its upper end and is effective to bias carriage member 22 to its uppermost position along post 36 (see for example FIG. 5). Post 36 is received in a pair of thrust bearings 50 and 51 mounted in shoulders formed in carriage 22 at either end of aperture 42.

A cradle 52 is formed integral with carriage 22 with a channel 53 and extends laterally therefrom in the direction opposite from platform 20. A roller 54 is rotatably mounted in cradle 52 by means of a mounting pin 56 journalled at either end within apertures 58 and 60 therein and extending across channel 53. A set screw 62 is adapted to maintain roller pin 56 fast in cradle 52.

It is the main purpose of this invention to remove all or substantially all of the rinse water from each bottle 18 as it moves along the path of conveyor assembly 10, so that by the time the bottle is removed from the conveyor, only an insignificant amount of rinse water remains therein. As best shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, conveyor assembly comprises a pair of shafts 64 and 66 each of which carries a pair of substantially equal radius sprocket wheels 68 and 70. Endless sprocket chains 72 and 74, which pass over the peripheries of sprocket wheels 68 and 70 respectively on both shafts, are each secured to the base 28 of T-shaped support 26 as at 76 by any suitable means. In the particular embodiment herein described as best shown in FIG. 2, curved path segments 13 and 14 are defined when the conveyor chains 72 and 74 pass over the outer peripheries of sprocket wheels 68 and 70.

Referring now to FIG. 3, chains 72 and 74 are supported on the upper flight of the conveyor by chain guides 78 and 80, respectively, supported by chain guide supports 82 and 84, respectively, which in turn are secured to L-shaped brackets 86 and 88, respectively, by any suitable means. Brackets 86 and 88 are supported on the conveyor framework generally designated 90 by any suitable means, such as brackets 92 and 94 secured to a rail support member 96 which in turn is secured at either end to conveyor frame 90 at 98 and 100. A similar arrangement is provided on the lower flight of conveyor 10 so that each individual support member 26 is carried in an endless path on conveyor chains 72 and 74.

At the location of the upper flight 11 at which bottles 18 are deposited onto support platform 20 rollers 54 are adapted to operatively engage a cam rail 102 mounted on conveyor frame 90 by suitable means such as angle bar 104 (see FIG. 3). As best shown in FIG. 2 cam rail 102 comprises an elongated vertically positioned plate having a generally horizontal cam surface 106 at its bottom end, cam surface 106 being inclined upwardly as its lefthand and righthand terminal portions 108 and 110, respectively. As best shown in FIG. 1 cam rail 102 extends substantially the entire length of the upper flight 11 of the conveyor, its inclined cam surfaces 108 and 110 being disposed near sprocket wheels 68 and 70 defining curved path segments 13 and 14, respectively.

Infeed and outfeed sections and 16 are positioned laterally to the right of conveyor assembly 10 (as shown in FIG. 1) opposite the horizontal cam surface 106 of cam rail 102. Infeed section 15 comprises a conveyor 112 which is effective to move a plurality of openended bottles 18 toward the left as viewed in FIG. 1 to a rotating infeed worm 114 which engages, spaces and then guides bottles 18 between a pair of infeed arcuate guide rails 116 and 118, the latter serving to place individual bottles on a rotary infeed table 119 in the spaces defined by the teeth 120 of an infeed star wheel 122 fast on a rotating shaft 124. Rotation of star wheel 122 in the direction of arrow 126 causes the bottles to move towards upper flight 11 of conveyor assembly 10 with their open ends facing vertically upwardly. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 guide rails 116 and 118 extend into the generally U-shaped elongated channel formed between platforms 20 and bottle neck engaging members 32 on the conveyor line below the laterally extending bottle guide fingers 46.

Bottle 18 is thus positioned on a supporting platform 20 and is thereafter carried along the upper flight of the conveyor to the right as shown in FIG. 1. The upper end of the bottle is below and substantially in registry with the U-shaped bottle engaging member 32. The rotation of star wheel shaft 124 and sprocket wheel drive shafts 64 and 66 are maintained in synchronous relationship such that a bottle 18 and a support platform 20 arrive at the same position on the upper flight ll of conveyor assembly 10 at the same time traveling at substantially the same velocity. Bottle guide fingers 46 are effective to stabilize bottles 18 laterally on platforms 20 as they are slid thereon by star wheel 122 and to maintain each bottle compartmentalized on its individual support platform. Thus as shown in FIG. 1 the teeth of star wheel 122 are effective to urge successive bottles 18 against bottle guide fingers 46 whereby the bottle 18 as it leaves the infeed section of the conveyor is in substantial registration with its associated U- shaped bottle neck engaging member 32.

' At some time (usually while the bottles are being fed by star wheel 122, although the particular time is not at all critical) rinse water is injected through the open end of each bottle and may, in a typical instance, fill substantially one-fourth of the volume of the bottle. The moving conveyor chains 72 and 74 carry support members 26 and their associated supporting platforms 20 in unison along the upper flight of the conveyor towards the right as viewed in FIG. 1 until the roller 54 reaches the upwardly inclined cam surface 110 of cam rail 102. At this point coil spring 48 is effective to move carriage 22 upwardly along post 36 and column 30. Accordingly, bottle 18 is moved upwardly on platform 20 and the bottle neck generally designated 128 is adapted to be operatively engaged by and retained in the U- shaped bottle neck engaging member 32. For this purpose, and as best seen in FIGS. 3 and 10, bottle engaging member 32 is provided with a generally U-shaped channel 130 having a circular chamfer or countersink 132 at its lower surface. The bottle neck engaging member there shown is accordingly adapted for use with bottles having a neck that tapers as at 134 to a reduced cross-sectional open end 136. In the case illustrated, as bottle 18 is moved upwardly on its support platform 20 the reduced open-ended neck portion 136 is received in U-shaped channel 130 and extends therethrough as the tapered portion of the bottle is securely engaged in surface-to-surface relationship with the chamfered or countersunk lower surface 132 of member 32 (see FIG. 5). In this position bottle 18 is securely retained between support platform 20 and member 32 both vertically and laterally as a result of the circular configuration of the chamfered or countersunk surface 132. As a result, successive bottles 18 as they pass beyond the inclined cam surface 110 of cam rail 102 on the upper flight 11 of the conveyor are securely clamped in their associated support structure.

Further movement toward the right of the support structure and bottle assembly in this grasped condition causes the bottle 18 to reach the end of upper flight 11 and then to swing downwardly around the curved path segment 13, the bottle being securely retained in its associated support structure.

As the bottle moves along the curved path with its open end passing through U-shaped channel 130 in bottle neck engaging member 32 and facing radially outwardly from the conveyor path, a centrifugal force is developed on the bottle and the rinse water therein. If that force is of sufficient magnitude, it will be effective to expel some or all of the rinse water from the bottle. Since the support platform is now in the position shown in FIG. 6, the effective radius of arc swing R2 at the base of the bottle is substantially equal to the radius of sprocket wheels 68, 70, i.e., the effective conveyor radius R1 about the curved path, plus the radial spacing of the platform 20 outwardly of the sprocket wheels. As is described in detail in my aforementioned prior application, a net increase in effective radius along which the bottle moves through the curved path provides an increase in the centrifugal force active on the rinse water, without requiring an increase in the velocity of the conveyor.

By spacing support platform 20 a substantial distance from sprocket wheels 68 and 70, an increased centrifugal force is developed on the rinse water in the bottle without increasing the conveyor velocity. This is significant because minimum chain velocity is desirable and necessary for conveyor rinsers of the type here described, the mechanism is simpler and gravity drain is maximized by a given size of apparatus. Moreover, without a substantial spacing of the bottles from the sprocket wheels it would be difficult and probably impractical to move the bottles along the curved path at velocities sufficient to establish a centrifugal force operative for the purposes here described.

After the bottle along with its associated support structure moves beyond the first curved path segment 13, it is then conveyed in an inverted position with its open end facing downwardly along the lower flight 12 of the conveyor. The bottle 18 at this time is still firmly engaged by bottle neck engaging member 32 and is thereby retained against its associated supporting platform 20. As the bottle continues along lower flight 12, a portion of the rinse water (if any) remaining in the bottle is gravity-drained therefrom. Still engaged by bottle neck engaging member 32, the bottle is then moved upwardly along the second curved path segment 14, with its open neck once again pointed radially out- .Wardly from the conveyor. Any remaining rinse water within the bottle is again subjected to a centrifugal force which is effective to remove all or substantially all of the rinse water which may still remain within the bottle.

After passing curved path segment 14, the bottle and its associated support structure are again received on the upper flight 11 of the conveyor. As roller 54 engages the inclined cam surface 108 of cam rail 102 platform 20 is again lowered to the position shown in FIG. 3. Accordingly, the bottle neck 128 moves downwardly out of engagement with bottle neck engaging member 32 and the bottle is free for removal from the conveyor line.

Shortly after this disengagement of the bottle from bottle neck engaging member 32, bottle 18 is engaged by a first outfeed guide rail extending longitudinally along one side of the upper flight of the conveyor adjacent guide column 30. Rail 140 engages and urges the now released bottle 18 to the right of the conveyor (as viewed in FIG. 2), until the bottle is received between the parallel arcuate outfeed guide rails 142 and 144.

The now substantially completely drained bottle is moved between guide rails 142 and 144 onto an outfeed table 146 fast on a rotating shaft 148, at which time the beverage may be injected thereinto, or the bottle may be removed therefrom and transported to a filling station for that purpose. The rotation of outfeed table 146 is again synchronized with the movement of the conveyor assembly so that the rinsed bottle may be shunted off the conveyor line substantially in continuous fashion.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that an improved bottle draining apparatus has been disclosed in which the rate of rinse water drainage is increased by directing the open ends of those containers radially outwardly from the conveyor so that centrifugal force is active on the rinse water in those containers as the containers travel along a curved path segment connecting the upper and lower flights of the conveyor. That centrifugal force is effective to expel a substantial amount of the rinse water from the containers.

By supporting the base of the container at a location spaced radially outwardly from the path of the conveyor, the net centrifugal force active on the rinse water is increased without the need for increasing the velocity of the conveyor drive or decreasing the radius of the sprocket wheel. In this manner, a sufficiently large centrifugal force for water removal may be developed while maintaining practical and economical operating speeds of the conveyor.

In accordance with the foregoing disclosure, the entire bottle support structure including the bottle neck engaging members, are designed into a single rather simple and inexpensive unit. As a result only a single pair of conveyor chains is required to transport the bottles along the draining path thereby to further enhance the simplicity and reliability of operation.

The arrangement here disclosed is effective to maximize water drainage by both centrifugal and gravitational force. This is done utilizing a rather simple and inexpensive conveyor and support apparatus. Thus the vertically slidable support platforms herein disclosed serve the dual purpose of providing the increased radius of bottle travel between the upper and lower flights of the conveyor and the retaining of the bottles firmly within their support structures as the bottles travel along said curved paths and along the lower flight of the conveyor. The bottle neck engaging member 32 herein disclosed may be radially removed from the vertical guide structure and replaced with other members shaped to engage bottles or other openended containers of various sizes and shapes. Moreover, the vertical support structure such as columns 30 and posts 36 may be designed of a length substantially more than needed for a particular bottle rinsing operation so that the spacing between support platform 20 and the conveyor drive may be adjusted to provide the desired centrifugal force merely by adjusting the height of cam rail 102 and infeed and outfeed tables 121 and 146. In this manner the speed of the conveyor drive may be decreased without decreasing the desired centrifugal force developed at the curved path segment 13 and 14. As a result, conveyors of shorter length can be used with the rinser of the present invention without significantly decreasing the time period within which the gravity drain is effective. Consequently, the required plant space for the draining operation is reduced and installation and operating costs are significantly decreased, all while achieving more efficient and complete drainage of the rinse water from the containers.

While only a single preferred embodiment of the present invention is herein specifically described, it will be appreciated that many variations may be made therein all within the scope of the present invention as defined in the following claims.

Iclaim:

1. In an apparatus for draining containers of the type having an open end into which rinse water has been inserted, said apparatus comprising container conveying means effective to transport said containers to that their bottoms move along a drying path having at least one curved path segment, and means operatively connected to said conveying means and effective to support said container on said conveying means in a position in which its open end is facing radially outwardly when the container is moved along said curved path segment, thereby to provide an outward centrifugal force on the rinse water within the containers as the latter move along said curved path, said force being effective to expel rinse water through said open ends of said containers, means for feeding containers onto said support at an infeed section of said conveyor means; the improvement which comprises means effective to move said support means and said supported containers radially outwardly from said conveying means to a position substantially radially outwardly spaced therefrom as said containers approach said curved path segment and to maintain said containers in said spaced position as said containers traverse said curve path segment.

2 The draining apparatus of claim 1, wherein said container moving means comprises platform means operatively mounted on said conveyor means for movement radially outwardly and inwardly relative to said conveyor means, and means operatively engaging said platform means and effective to move it radially outwardly from said conveyor means as said platform means approaches said curved path segment of said conveyor means.

3. The draining apparatus of claim 2, further comprising means for removing said containers from said conveyor means at an outfeed section thereof, means biasing said platform means in a direction radially outwardly of said conveyor means and cam means operatively connected to said platform means and effective to maintain said platform means, in opposition to the force of said biasing means, substantially at the level of said infeed means at said infeed section and substantially at the level of said outfeed means at said outfeed section.

4., The draining apparatus of claim 3, wherein said cam means has a cam surface in the vicinity of said infeed and outfeed sections of said conveyor means effective to urge said platform means radially inwardly toward said conveyor means.

5. The draining apparatus of claim 1, further comprising container engaging means operatively connected to said conveyor means and spaced radially outwardly thereof and effective to operatively engage and retain said containers in said radially outwardly spaced position.

6. The draining apparatus of claim 2, further comprising container engaging means operatively connected to said conveyor means and spaced radially outwardly thereof and effective to operatively engage and retain said containers in said radially outwardly spaced position.

7. The draining apparatus of claim 3, further comprising container engaging means operatively connected to said conveyor means and spaced radially outwardly thereof and effective to operatively engage and retain said containers in said radially outwardly spaced position.

8. The draining apparatus of claim 4, further comprising container engaging means operatively connected to said conveyor means and spaced radially outwardly thereof and effective to operatively engage and retain said containers in said radially outwardly spaced position. I

9. The draining apparatus of claim 4, wherein said cam means is provided with inclined cam surfaces downstream of said infeed section and upstream of said outfeed section thereby to gradually release said platform means for movement outwardly of said conveyor means in response to said biasing means, as said container leaves said infeed section and to gradually urge said platform means inwardly towards said conveyor means as said container approaches said outfeed section.

10. The draining apparatus of claim 7, wherein said container engaging means is adapted to operatively engage the upper end of said container in grasping relationship and is provided with an opening adapted to receive the open end of said container and wherein said biasing means comprises spring means adapted to urge said platform radially outwardly from said conveyor mean whereby said container is urged into operative engagement with said container engaging means.

11. The draining apparatus of claim 8, wherein said container engaging means is adapted to operatively engage the upper end of said container in grasping relationship and is provided with an opening adapted to receive the open end of said container and wherein said biasing means comprises spring means adapted to urge said platform radially outwardly from said conveyor means whereby said container is urged into operative engagement with said container engaging means.

12. The draining apparatus of claim 5, wherein said transporting means comprises a drive wheel, said conveyor means being carried by said drive wheel, a fixed support mounted on said conveying means for movement therewith, said fixed support carrying said container engaging means at its upper end radially outwardly spaced from said conveyor means a distance greater than the height of said containers, said platform means being slidably mounted on said fixed support whereby movement of said platform means radially outwardly from said conveyor means on said fixed support is effective to bring said container into operative engagement with said container engaging means.

13. The draining apparatus of claim 6, wherein said transporting means comprises a drive wheel, said conveying means being carried by said drive wheel, a fixed support mounted on said conveying means for movement therewith, said fixed support carrying said container engaging means at its upper end radially outwardly spaced from said conveyor means a distance greater than the height of said containers, said platform means being slidably mounted on said fixed support whereby movement of said platform means radially outwardly from said conveyor means on said fixed support is effective to bring said container into operative engagement with said container engaging means.

14. The draining apparatus of claim 7, wherein said transporting means comprises a drive wheel, said conveying means being carried by said drive wheel, a fixed support mounted on said conveying means for movement therewith, said fixed support carrying said container engaging means at its upper end radially outwardly spaced from said conveyor means a distance greater than the height of said containers, said platform means being slidably mounted on said fixed support whereby movement of said platform means radially outwardly from said conveyor means on said fixed support is effective to bring said container into operative engagement with said container engaging means.

15. The draining apparatus of claim 8, wherein said transporting means comprises a drive wheel, said conveying means being carried by said drive wheel, a fixed support mounted on said conveying means for movement therewith, said fixed support carrying said container engaging means at its upper end radially outwardly spaced from said conveyor means a distance greater than the height of said containers, said platform means being slidably mounted on said fixed support whereby movement of said platform means radially outwardly from said conveyor means on said fixed support is effective to bring said container into operative engagement with said container engaging means.

16. The draining apparatus of claim 3, wherein said conveying means comprises an upper and lower flight connected by said curved path segment, said infeed and outfeed sections of said conveyor being positioned at one side of said upper flight.

17. The draining apparatus of claim 9, wherein said conveying means comprises an upper and lower flight connected by said curved path segment, said infeed and outfeed sections of said conveyor being positioned at one side of said upper flight.

18. The draining apparatus of claim 12, wherein said conveying means comprises conveyor chain means movable over an endless path, said fixed support being operatively connected to said conveyor chain means for movement therewith.

19. The draining apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a cam follower operatively connected to said platform means and adapted to engage said cam surface of said cam means.

20. The draining apparatus of claim 19, wherein said cam follower is in the form of a roller rotatably mounted on said platfor n rgear l s. 

1. In an apparatus for draining containers of the type having an open end into which rinse water has been inserted, said apparatus comprising container conveying means effective to transport said containers to that their bottoms move along a drying path having at least one curved path segment, and means operatively connected to said conveying means and effective to support said container on said conveying means in a position in which its open end is facing radially outwardly when the container is moved along said curved path segment, thereby to provide an outward centrifugal force on the rinse water within the containers as the latter move along said curved path, said force being effective to expel rinse water through said open ends of said containers, means for feeding containers onto said support at an infeed section of said conveyor means; the improvement which comprises means effective to move said support means and said supported containers radially outwardly from said conveying means to a position substantially radially outwardly spaced therefrom as said containers approach said curved path segment and to maintain said containers in said spaced position as said containers traverse said curve path segment.
 2. The draining apparatus of claim 1, wherein said container moving means comprises platform means operatively mounted on said conveyor means for movement radially outwardly and inwardly relative to said conveyor means, and means operatively engaging said platform means and effective to move it radially outwardly from said conveyor means as said platform means approaches said curved path segment of said conveyor means.
 3. The draining apparatus of claim 2, further comprising means for removing said containers from said conveyor means at an outfeed section thereof, means biasing said platform means in a direction radially outwardly of said conveyor means and cam means operatively connected to said platform means and effective to maintain said platform means, in opposition to the force of said biasing means, substantially at the level of said infeed means at said infeed section and substantially at the level of said outfeed means at said outfeed section.
 4. The draining apparatus of claim 3, wherein said cam means has a cam surface in the vicinity of said infeed and outfeed sections of said conveyor means effective to urge said platform means radially inwardly toward said conveyor means.
 5. The draining apparatus of claim 1, further comprising container engaging means operatively connected to said conveyor means and spaced radially outwardly thereof and effective to operatively engage and retain said containers in said radially outwardly spaced position.
 6. The draining apparatus of claim 2, further comprising container engaging means operatively connected to said conveyor means and spaced radially outwardly thereof and effective to operatively engage and retain said containers in said radially outwardly spaced position.
 7. The draining apparatus of claim 3, further comprising container engaging means operatively connected to said conveyor means and spaced radially outwardly thereof and effective to operatively engage and retain said containers in said radially outwardly spaced position.
 8. The draining apparatus of claim 4, further comprising container engaging means operatively connected to said conveyor means and spaced radially outwardly thereof and effective to operatively engage and retain said containers in said radially outwardly spaced position.
 9. The draining apparatus of claim 4, wherein said cam means is provided with inclined cam surfaces downstream of said infeed section and upstream of said outfeed section thereby to gradually releaSe said platform means for movement outwardly of said conveyor means in response to said biasing means, as said container leaves said infeed section and to gradually urge said platform means inwardly towards said conveyor means as said container approaches said outfeed section.
 10. The draining apparatus of claim 7, wherein said container engaging means is adapted to operatively engage the upper end of said container in grasping relationship and is provided with an opening adapted to receive the open end of said container and wherein said biasing means comprises spring means adapted to urge said platform radially outwardly from said conveyor mean whereby said container is urged into operative engagement with said container engaging means.
 11. The draining apparatus of claim 8, wherein said container engaging means is adapted to operatively engage the upper end of said container in grasping relationship and is provided with an opening adapted to receive the open end of said container and wherein said biasing means comprises spring means adapted to urge said platform radially outwardly from said conveyor means whereby said container is urged into operative engagement with said container engaging means.
 12. The draining apparatus of claim 5, wherein said transporting means comprises a drive wheel, said conveyor means being carried by said drive wheel, a fixed support mounted on said conveying means for movement therewith, said fixed support carrying said container engaging means at its upper end radially outwardly spaced from said conveyor means a distance greater than the height of said containers, said platform means being slidably mounted on said fixed support whereby movement of said platform means radially outwardly from said conveyor means on said fixed support is effective to bring said container into operative engagement with said container engaging means.
 13. The draining apparatus of claim 6, wherein said transporting means comprises a drive wheel, said conveying means being carried by said drive wheel, a fixed support mounted on said conveying means for movement therewith, said fixed support carrying said container engaging means at its upper end radially outwardly spaced from said conveyor means a distance greater than the height of said containers, said platform means being slidably mounted on said fixed support whereby movement of said platform means radially outwardly from said conveyor means on said fixed support is effective to bring said container into operative engagement with said container engaging means.
 14. The draining apparatus of claim 7, wherein said transporting means comprises a drive wheel, said conveying means being carried by said drive wheel, a fixed support mounted on said conveying means for movement therewith, said fixed support carrying said container engaging means at its upper end radially outwardly spaced from said conveyor means a distance greater than the height of said containers, said platform means being slidably mounted on said fixed support whereby movement of said platform means radially outwardly from said conveyor means on said fixed support is effective to bring said container into operative engagement with said container engaging means.
 15. The draining apparatus of claim 8, wherein said transporting means comprises a drive wheel, said conveying means being carried by said drive wheel, a fixed support mounted on said conveying means for movement therewith, said fixed support carrying said container engaging means at its upper end radially outwardly spaced from said conveyor means a distance greater than the height of said containers, said platform means being slidably mounted on said fixed support whereby movement of said platform means radially outwardly from said conveyor means on said fixed support is effective to bring said container into operative engagement with said container engaging means.
 16. The draining apparatus of claim 3, wherein said conveying means comprises an upper and lower flight connected by said curved path segment, said infeed and outfeed sections of said conveyor being positioned at one side of said upper flight.
 17. The draining apparatus of claim 9, wherein said conveying means comprises an upper and lower flight connected by said curved path segment, said infeed and outfeed sections of said conveyor being positioned at one side of said upper flight.
 18. The draining apparatus of claim 12, wherein said conveying means comprises conveyor chain means movable over an endless path, said fixed support being operatively connected to said conveyor chain means for movement therewith.
 19. The draining apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a cam follower operatively connected to said platform means and adapted to engage said cam surface of said cam means.
 20. The draining apparatus of claim 19, wherein said cam follower is in the form of a roller rotatably mounted on said platform means. 